Gremmens #1 - What If Stories

GREMMENS No. 1, July 2019

Ably answering the question as to what would happen “if Murray Futterman faced the Gremlins back in World War Two?”, Matthew Stapleton’s self-funded Issue One of “Gremmens” certainly shows that the author was “a child of the Eighties” who has a strong love for Steven Spielberg’s 1984 American comedy horror movie. In fact, it’s a pity something akin to this publication’s storyline wasn’t incorporated into Chris Columbus’s original film script, as it provides Dick Miller's silver screen counterpart with a solid explanation as to just why the veteran soldier is so paranoid of foreign objects and vehicles; “They’re like lizards, big ones. Almost cute…”

Foremost of this twenty-page periodical’s strengths is arguably the writer’s wise decision not to turn the future snowplough salesman into an unstoppable killing machine, but rather depict him hunkered down in the freezing cold of Belgium’s Bastogne alongside the rest of his hapless comrades-in-arms. This claustrophobic ‘I don’t want to die’ atmosphere really helps project the terror of the men facing the German war machine during the dead of night and helps make the sudden appearance of the ferocious Mogwai even more terrifying - especially when they are shown tearing the throats out of the very enemy Futterman is apprehensively anticipating.

Likewise, the Gremlins aren’t shown as being wholly unconquerable either, just a vicious creature who in superior numbers is able to overwhelm an already exhausted, scared and shocked human target. Such ‘realism’ allows for the American Airborne to at least have something of a fighting chance against the formidably fanged monsters, and resultantly adds extra tension to the scenes which show them fending off their assailants with rifle butts as it’s perfectly possible for them to still survive the encounter.

Artist Mark Hooley also deserves recognition for his marvellous layouts, as his illustrations really capture the stark horror of the Allies’ situation when they realise they’re facing both Volksgrenadiers and murderous Mogwai simultaneously during a snowy Christmas Eve in which they can barely see a hundred yards ahead of their entrenched positions. In addition, the illustrator’s use of colour is brilliant, allowing the crimson jets of blood and ghoulish green of the Gremlin’s scaled skin to really jump out of the otherwise predominantly black and white panels.

Writer: Matthew Stapleton and Illustrator: Mark Hooley